1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a combined apparatus for imaging the internal part of a body, particularly for diagnostic imaging thereof, comprising at least means for imaging and displaying images according to at least one type of beams, waves or signals transmitted by a body or a part thereof to be examined.
2. Description of Related Art
Imaging apparatuses are well-known and include ultrasound imaging apparatuses, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatuses, X-Ray apparatuses, etc. In such type of conventional apparatuses, each apparatus always uses a single type of wave or beam for imaging. From the diagnostic point of view, human body tissues and human body fluid flows provide better or worse different responses in relation to the type of imaging method in use. In order to image with sufficient clearness and accuracy tissues or flows which have an unfavorable imaging behavior, with reference to a specific type of imaging method, arrangements or constructions of imaging apparatuses are often needed which increase the cost and hinder the installation thereof. Hence, for instance, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatuses generally require large magnetic structures. Further, there exists a tendency to provide a separate apparatus for each type of imaging method with considerable purchase costs. It shall be also considered that the physical characteristics of the waves or beams used for imaging have intrinsic limits as regards the capability of imaging certain types of tissues or flows.
In the field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging, there exists a current tendency toward providing dedicated apparatuses. The peculiar characteristic of these apparatuses is a reduced size of the magnetic structure which allows to considerably limit the weight and dimensions, hence both purchase and installation costs thereof. These apparatuses are constructed in such a manner as to have small housings in which the parts of the body to be examined are to be received. Essentially, instead of housing the patient inside the magnetic structure for a relevant part of his/her body, the dedicated apparatuses may accommodate only small regions of the patient body, like parts of a limb or body, e.g., the region of the knee, elbow, shoulder, etc. This type of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatuses operates with low magnetic fields. In these conditions, imaging of tissues which have unfavorable characteristics with respect to the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging technique in use is even more difficult. In order to obviate this, and to obtain images of a certain quality and usefulness, the drawbacks of small magnetic structures and low fields are compensated by using more complex and longer scanning sequences, i.e., protocols.
Combined apparatuses currently exist for imaging and therapeutic applications, which use, for instance, a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technique for imaging purposes, in combination with ultrasound probes for therapeutic applications. In these applications, the interference between ultrasound imaging means and therapeutic means is not of substantial importance, since the two techniques do not have to provide mutually related images, whereas the image generally has the only purpose to verify, for instance, the position of the therapeutic tool and/or the effect of the therapeutic application on tissues.
Particularly relevant are imaging apparatuses and method which acquire 3D images of the body under examination. The actual 3D imaging methods combine a certain number of images acquired along a certain number of adjacent scanning planes intersecting the body under examination. Each sectional image, also called a slice, is combined with the other slices relating to their spatial relations in order to organize the information as the section planes of the body under examination along which the images have been acquired, thus obtaining a three dimensional image data set describing the object in a three dimensional data array.
WO 96/32056 discloses a system for multi-dimensional imaging in which an ultrasound system and a x-ray system are combined. This document does not deal with the hardware integration of the two system but limit its disclosure to the techniques for combining the data obtained by the two different imaging systems. The system disclosed in WO 96/32056 is a so called 3D (three dimensional) imaging system.